The present invention relates to data logging, but more specifically, to a method of and an apparatus for tracking errors and/or other operational events of respective modules of a multi-module device.
An electrophotographic printer or copying machine exemplifies a modular device. Such a device may include several modular, e.g., swappable, components that enable an operator to reconfigure the device in order to meet requirements of a particular job. In many like devices, modularity permits customization or upgrading by adding and/or swapping one or more modules. To assist in maintenance, a multi-modular device often detects and stores information indicative of historical performance information of the respective modules. Such data logs, as they are called, are either examined locally or transmitted to remote diagnostic center to help technicians determine what, if any, corrective or maintenance action should be taken to maintain error-free operation of the device.
A challenge encountered in utilizing logs of multi-modular devices concerns determining whether the data observed truly reflects the device's current performance capability when certain modules thereof may have been replaced, swapped, or removed. Difficulties may arise when an operator reconfigures the device without recordation or notifying subsequent maintenance technicians of the reconfiguration. In addition, storage elements of a module in the device may contain unrelated or useless information as then configured, e.g., stored errors or events may indicate the status of the module when it was part of a different device or a differently configured device. Thus, the presence or absence of certain data in the individual data logs of respective modules of a modular device may complicate diagnosis of problems since the data related to the current configuration may not be easily discerned.
The present invention addresses the above and other problems by, among others, providing a way to obtain, store, combine, and/or decipher respective data logs in a multi-module device.